Unity Community Food Forest Vision

Food Forest Project

Vision and Goals

Sponsored by Unity Church for Creative Living

 

Vision:  To create an abundant collaborative and resilient community using Permaculture ethics and principles which will allow us to feed our members, our community and our spirits.

Goals:

  1. Develop and implement an integrated plan for our garden that utilizes Permaculture techniques, while allowing space for those who wish to plant in traditional raised organic beds
  2. Provide hands on classroom that allows members to grow. Ideally we would have 2- 4 classes per month including but not limited to the following
    1. Introduction to Permaculture
    2. Permaculture and organic gardening techniques
    3. Natural building techniques
    4. Natural relationships
    5. Canning and processing food
  3. Help members create financial security
    1. Providing healthy food for our members
    2. Selling crops
    3. Selling plants
    4. Selling goods and products produced by our members
    5. Consulting
      1. Installing private gardens
      2. maintaining private gardens
  4. Give back to the community
    1. Returning the surplus to our community and local food banks
    2. Help others form and implement their own Community Food Forests
  5. Develop a youth program focused on
    1. Permaculture basics
    2. Teamwork
    3. The web of life
    4. Creating a market for
      1. permaculture gardens
      2. Food products

 Our Priorities

  • Creating our Garden
    • The goal is to prepare the soil in such a way as to minimize watering and the addition of outside fertilizers and pesticides.
    • Attract beneficial insects, worms, bacterial and fungal cultures
    • Plant cover crops that add nutrients to the soil and to provide us with a harvest. These will be primarily nitrogen fixing and nutrient accumulator plants to continue to add needed nutrients and help us to continue to build our soil.
    • Our Philosophy is to honor all life, to that end we use no pesticides or herbacides, but instead, plant a diversity of plants that attract a diversity of life forms. When done right, we will create a balanced ecosystem that allows all life to flourish.
  • Water harvest
      • Create the ability to capture and store up to 500 gallons of rain water through the construction of gutters on the garden side of the building.
      • Create a small pond to capture any overflow of water.
        • This will include mosquito minnows as well as a solar pump to circulate the water
        • Overflow of the pond will be distributed into swales which will hold the water and allow for slow percolation into the organic substrate we are developing.
  • Programs
    • Target Demographic
      • It is our hope that it will attract many people from the Julington Creek, Mandarin and Saint Johns communities to be a teaching and demonstration garden to illustrate how we can thrive while honoring the land, people and the living spirit that created it all.
      • It is an opportunity to educate people to Permaculture’s  ethics and values.
    • Monthly tours after Church Service will illustrate the principles of how we can thrive by living in alignment with Nature
    • Frequent workshops to show and illustrate techniques how anyone can implement these techniques into their own property
      • Educate people about the alternatives to grass and the chemical cycle/pollution cycle
    • Hold quarterly social gatherings with the Garden as the focal point. Include
      • Food
      • Music
      • Movies
    • Future
    • should the opportunity, desire and funding be available:
      • Create an after school program for children based on the premises of Richard Louv and “the Children and Nature Network”
      • Create an outdoor Preschool based on the Waldorf principles
      • Create a School for Teens to develop a community team to create and install gardens around town. This has the potential to give them some part time income while doing a community service
      • The opportunities are only limited by our imaginations and willingness
  • Finances
    • All funds collected from the activities of the garden will be put into the Garden Special account fund to support the on-going operation and support of the Garden after sharing with UCCL a percentage of the profits for the use of the facilities.
    • It is the intent of the Garden to seek outside financial assistance to minimize the financial impact to UCCL and to provide funding for the above programs. Any requests for funding will be presented to the Board for their information, approval and support.
    • Base on some information received, it may be necessary for the Garden to have its own 5013-c designation to receive various grant money available.
    • The Garden facilitator will be reimbursed for all purchases associated with the garden for tools, seeds, plants and materials needed for the on-going operation of the Garden providing there is adequate funds in the Garden account to support such spending
    • There is no Membership cost unless you wish to have a private bed in that case we will assess a $55 per year fee per 10X3 bed. The bed must be cared for organically.
      • Community Membership is free and open to all
      • Private bed - $55 per year per family
  • Organization
    • The Garden will be facilitated by a committee chairman and all members of the garden shall have an equal voice in the decisions and direction of the garden.
      • Should the Board of Trustee’s wish, The garden will hold one position available for a UCCL  Trustee member that can serve as a liaison to the board and who will keep the Board apprised of the activities of the garden.